Small Bag Haylage

User avatar
JimW
Head Chicken
Posts: 1062
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:30 am
Answers: 2
Location: Montague, Ontario
x 1927

Small Bag Haylage

Post by JimW » Fri Jan 15, 2016 8:15 pm

Well some people might remember I started a little experiment in the fall compressing and bagging up small amounts of grass and clover into plastic bags to produce small (about 2 gallons compressed) bagged haylage.

I bagged the grass up on September 24th. I opened 1 bag on November 22nd to see it if way okay, it looked good and chickens ate it.

Today I opened a 2nd bag to see if it was still good and not moldy, so far so good. The chickens don't go crazy for it but it does give them something different to pick at in the cold, snowy weather. And best of all free!!

Thinking of planting some clover or other crop to harvest next fall to do more next year, with something better than basically grass.

JimW
Attachments
small bag.jpg
small bag Jan 15.jpg
4
Keeping poultry with my 2 daughters since 2014.
Ayam cemani, BC Marans, Legbars (Gold Crele, Opal and White), Mosaics, Hmongs and Cuckoo Malines
Black & Blue Poultry
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1357630357612951/

User avatar
Ontario Chick
Poultry Guru
Posts: 5393
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 10:12 am
Answers: 2
Location: Carp - West Ottawa
x 9610

Re: Small Bag Haylage

Post by Ontario Chick » Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:53 pm

Looking good! Was a bit tempted to get close to the screen and smell it ;)
4

User avatar
muffin57
Chatty Hen
Posts: 617
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 6:53 pm
Location: Nolalu Ontario
x 619

Re: Small Bag Haylage

Post by muffin57 » Fri Jan 15, 2016 11:59 pm

What a great idea! I picked flowers from the clovers last year for tea. May be my chickens and ducks might like some.
0

User avatar
Brebis
Chatty Hen
Posts: 739
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:38 am
Location: Kingston
x 1286

Re: Small Bag Haylage

Post by Brebis » Sat Jan 16, 2016 9:15 am

I try and harvest the dried grass clippings from the lawn and give that to them and use it in the nest boxes. I was surprised to see they liked to eat it. Didn't get much this year though.

I'm not fond of silages, don't like the pervasive smell, and you really have to be careful it's always fresh as it can spoil easily once exposed to air and in other livestock cause serious illness. If it isn't harvested well and includes a lot of dirt it can harbour Listeria, again a risk to livestock but not sure about birds.

Look forward to hearing more about your use of it for your birds though.
1
Former dairy shepherd and owner of a menagerie of chickens and Pencilled Turkeys, now owned by three cats and a border collie x Australian shepherd pup.

User avatar
JimW
Head Chicken
Posts: 1062
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:30 am
Answers: 2
Location: Montague, Ontario
x 1927

Re: Small Bag Haylage

Post by JimW » Sat Jan 16, 2016 10:02 am

Brebis thanks for the tips.

I believe chickens can get Listeria, just not as common, as in 4 legged livestock.

I am not too worried about spoiling as I will only be feeding this in the winter, so it they do not eat it quick it will freeze. In the summer the birds get fresh cut clover and grass.

Plus the amount I am feeding is very small, I fed about 2 gallons compressed to about 50 birds, so very small quantity, cleaned up or frozen quickly. A bit of a smell when you open the bag, but then gone away quickly.
0
Keeping poultry with my 2 daughters since 2014.
Ayam cemani, BC Marans, Legbars (Gold Crele, Opal and White), Mosaics, Hmongs and Cuckoo Malines
Black & Blue Poultry
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1357630357612951/

User avatar
Ontario Chick
Poultry Guru
Posts: 5393
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 10:12 am
Answers: 2
Location: Carp - West Ottawa
x 9610

Re: Small Bag Haylage

Post by Ontario Chick » Sat Jan 16, 2016 11:25 am

I have done it in the past when there was so much clover in the grass I had to figure out some way to use it.
What I really like about the " haylage" was that it stretched the free range season somewhat and if nothing else adds entertainment value for the flock. I buy apples and greenery from the discounted shelf in grocery store during winter months , but the price of fruit and veggies have gone up so much that something like the haylage is very nice addition to the poultry feed budget.
You have inspired me to pay more attention to the grass next year and put together few bags for next winter again.
2

User avatar
JimW
Head Chicken
Posts: 1062
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:30 am
Answers: 2
Location: Montague, Ontario
x 1927

Re: Small Bag Haylage

Post by JimW » Sat Jan 16, 2016 7:55 pm

Yes I buy the discounted fruits and veggies at the grocery store as well for the winter. In late fall I was feeding wild apples and quince and after halloween I picked up 10 pumpkins from a farm down the road to feed.

Next year I will bag up more grass and clover, as well as have plans to grow pumpkins and winter squash to stockpile for winter chicken treats.
0
Keeping poultry with my 2 daughters since 2014.
Ayam cemani, BC Marans, Legbars (Gold Crele, Opal and White), Mosaics, Hmongs and Cuckoo Malines
Black & Blue Poultry
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1357630357612951/

User avatar
SandyM
x 4839

Re: Small Bag Haylage

Post by SandyM » Sat Jan 16, 2016 8:27 pm

JimW wrote:Yes I buy the discounted fruits and veggies at the grocery store as well for the winter. In late fall I was feeding wild apples and quince and after halloween I picked up 10 pumpkins from a farm down the road to feed.

Next year I will bag up more grass and clover, as well as have plans to grow pumpkins and winter squash to stockpile for winter chicken treats.
Quince. Was that the fruit in question last season?
0

User avatar
JimW
Head Chicken
Posts: 1062
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:30 am
Answers: 2
Location: Montague, Ontario
x 1927

Re: Small Bag Haylage

Post by JimW » Mon Jan 18, 2016 11:23 pm

SandyM wrote:
JimW wrote:Yes I buy the discounted fruits and veggies at the grocery store as well for the winter. In late fall I was feeding wild apples and quince and after halloween I picked up 10 pumpkins from a farm down the road to feed.

Next year I will bag up more grass and clover, as well as have plans to grow pumpkins and winter squash to stockpile for winter chicken treats.
Quince. Was that the fruit in question last season?
Yes that was the fruit in question last fall. I am still not 100% sure what it is but I am going with that for now.
0
Keeping poultry with my 2 daughters since 2014.
Ayam cemani, BC Marans, Legbars (Gold Crele, Opal and White), Mosaics, Hmongs and Cuckoo Malines
Black & Blue Poultry
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1357630357612951/

User avatar
windwalkingwolf
Poultry Guru - pullet level
Posts: 3567
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:31 pm
Answers: 3
Location: Frankville, Ontario
x 4899

Re: Small Bag Haylage

Post by windwalkingwolf » Tue Jan 19, 2016 2:14 am

Nice to see some green this time of year, LOL, I think I might try this myself this year. How did you compress the grass?
0

Post Reply

Return to “Feed Choices”